Liquid package cover with air duct

ABSTRACT

A cover embodiment which aims to resolve drawbacks, by means of regulating the air passage that will occur into the aseptic package, such as splashes and spills that could happen during outflow of the liquid from the aseptic package wherein it is positioned, and particularly to facilitate the process of opening aseptic packages which ensures protection of long lives of the liquids of food nature, and conservation of them in a sterilized manner.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/501,021, filed on May 19, 2012, and entitled “Liquid Package Cover with Air Duct”, presently pending.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an improvement which has been made in the cover parts of packages into which all kinds of liquids such as milk, fruit juice, oil, mineral oil and detergent are positioned.

The invention particularly relates to a cover embodiment which has the purpose of resolving drawbacks such as splashes and spills that could happen during outflow of the liquid from the package where it is positioned, and also to facilitating the opening of aseptic packages which disables connection of the liquid that it accommodates with the external environment until first use by means of regulating the air passage that will occur into the package from flowing out of the liquid from the package where the liquid is positioned.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.

As a benefit of modern life, together with developing technology, work towards the protection of freshness for long period of time to meet the existing needs has begun. With these works, storage of long-lasting food products has gained importance. Sterile packages that would prevent spoils of material properties in a long time have been developed. In line with the changing needs and demands, the packaging industry has grown rapidly. Product design which is developed alongside the technical features has gained importance. The improved package designs today not only aesthetically appeal to the eye but also provide facility of use.

Today, when looked at from the perspective of food manufacturers, properties of the packages that are used also have as great importance on the marketing as the quality of the product that is inside of the packages. In early times, while only single type of packaging lines having sharp contours were used, with increase in competition, packages that offer advantages that are different and varied from each other and in terms of visual and technical aspects have started to be used. While different applications to provide ease of holding on the side surfaces of the package are noticed more in terms of aesthetics, improvements which have been made in the cover part, provide ease of use for consumers. Especially, the cover part has paramount importance in terms of convenience of discharge and ensure hygiene in liquid foods and in the materials that are kept in liquid form.

There are some improvements that have been made in liquid package covers with over time. But these improvements emerge independently of each other.

There are improvements that have been made for circular-motioned cover disabling the connection of the liquid in the packages with external environment by the help of a protective foil and teeth belonging to these packages to ensure that the foil is easily sheared during the opening of the packages.

Independent of these improvements, there are also improvements that have been made in order to eliminate the irregularity which occurs in the flow of liquid due to undelivered air stream into the package during evacuation of the package.

An improvement which seeks solutions to all of the adverse cases on the same cover embodiment will undoubtedly be more useful.

In the patent search done related the cable cover embodiments, an application with no. WO 97/41040 which was made on Apr. 28, 1997, was found. The Abstract page of that application read: A mouth forming device (10) for a container includes an opening section (11), an operating section (12) and a supporting section (13) which are disposed in substantially the same plane. A substantially U-shaped groove is provided between one end portion (11 a) of the opening section (11) and one end portion (12 a) of the operating section (12). The supporting section (13) surrounds the opening section (11) and part of the operating section (12). The operating section (12) is linked to and supported by section (13) through axles (15). The opening section (11), the operating section (12) and the supporting section (13) are integrated through a thin wall portion and the support axles by molding. When the other end portion (12 b) of the operating section (12) is raised, axles (15) are twisted and section (13) rotates about axles (15) to close groove (14). Accordingly, end portion (11 a) is pressed by end portion (12 b) and the part of the container located beneath the opening section (11) is opened by the opening section (11). This cap embodiment, has no air duct. So, it can not eliminate undesired cases such as splashes and spills. Also, losses can not be prevented in the liquid which is contained inside of the package.

On the other hand, another patent application is numbered WO2008/014919. Said application teaches an air duct which is located beside of the tubular body enabling pouring of the liquid product. It is obvious that liquid product will close the air duct (20 a) while pouring and block entering of air into the package. Thus, said air duct can not perform its function.

As a result, there exists the need for a liquid package cover which eliminates drawbacks of liquid package covers that are present in the state of art, allowing air circulation and ensuring sterilized cases of the liquids, being of nature, during opening of aseptic featured packages, to facilitate opening and closing operations, and the inadequacy of the existing solutions have made it mandatory to make improvement in the related technical field.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Based on the known state of the art, the invention aims to solve existing problems above.

A purpose of the invention is to ensure, thanks to the air duct which has been positioned in the interior of liquid package covers in a manner to open to the outside, allowing air inlet through a different part the package while the liquid flows out of the package.

Another purpose of the invention is to eliminate interruptions and irregularities in the liquid flow inside of the package, thanks to air inlet into the interior during outflow of the liquid from inside of the package.

Another purpose of the invention is to eliminate undesired cases such as splashes and spills thanks to elimination of interruptions and irregularities that occur during outflow of the liquid which is inside of the package.

Another purpose of the invention is to ensure acceleration in the flow of liquid to a certain degree thanks to elimination of interruptions and irregularities that occur during outflow of the liquid which is inside of the package.

Another purpose of the invention is to prevent losses in the liquid which is contained inside of the package thanks to elimination of interruptions and irregularities which occur during outflow of the liquid inside of the package.

Another purpose of the invention is to ensure full utilization of the liquid which is contained inside of the package thanks to prevention of losses in the liquid which is contained inside of the package.

Another purpose of the invention is to ensure, thanks to the foil shearing teeth, facilitating the process of opening aseptic-structured packages that disable connection of the liquid inside until the first use phase thanks to the foil which it contains.

The structural and characteristic features of the invention and all of its advantages will be more clearly understood from the figures that are presented below, and from the detailed description making references to these figures, and therefore the assessment should be made by taking these figures and the detailed description into account.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side, schematic, general view of the aseptic package, cover embodiment and duct cover in opened form in an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side, schematic, general view of the cover embodiment and duct cover when it is pressed on the compression tip.

FIG. 3 is a side, schematic, general view of the cover embodiment and duct cover at the moment of rotation of compression tip.

FIG. 4 is a side, schematic, general view of the cover embodiment and air duct when lock pins are seated into the lock housings.

FIG. 5 is a top, schematic, perspective view of the cover embodiment on the aseptic paper box and air duct when lock pins are seated into the lock housings.

FIG. 6 is a back, schematic, general view of the cover embodiment on the aseptic paper box and air duct when lock pins are seated into the lock housings.

FIG. 7 a is a schematic, perspective cross section view of the cover embodiment, before being formed of duct cover.

FIG. 7 b is a schematic, perspective cross section view of the cover embodiment, while being rotated of duct cover.

FIG. 7 c is a schematic, perspective cross section view of the cover embodiment, while being rotated of duct cover.

FIG. 7 d is a schematic, perspective cross section view of the cover embodiment, when air duct is formed by rotating of duct cover.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

-   10. Aseptic package -   20. Cover embodiment -   30. Cover -   31. Cover housing -   40. Duct cover -   401. Air duct -   41. Compression tip -   42. Rotation tip -   43. Hinge -   44. Lock pins -   45. Lock housing -   50. Foil shearing teeth

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a duct cover (40) and foil shearing teeth (50) which are connected with the cover embodiment (20) of aseptic packages (10) in which all types of liquids such as fruit juices, milk, water, mineral oil, and detergent are positioned.

The cover embodiment (20) which is shown in FIG. 1 has been manufactured from plastic-based material, the aseptic package (10) which has been manufactured from carton, metal or similar material, accommodating liquid substances such as water, fruit juice, milk, liquid oil, detergent is used for the purpose of evacuation of these liquids from it. During said evacuation process, the liquid, which is inside of the aseptic package (10), advances towards the cover embodiment (20) with the influence of gravitational force. In the event that the aseptic package (10) is tilted, the liquid inside of it accumulates towards the cover embodiment (20), exiting through the space there. Since the evacuation process is based on the replacement of the liquid which is contained inside of the aseptic package (10) with the air outside, accumulation of the liquid towards the cover embodiment (20) makes evacuation process difficult. The air attempting to enter as much as the liquid flowing to outside from the cover embodiment (20) interrupts the flow in both directions from time to time. As a result, this short-term interruption in the flow and the subsequent acceleration of flow again lead to irregularities in the liquid and air ratio passing through the cover embodiment (20) per unit time. This irregularity which occurs in the amount of liquid outflow leads to occurrence of fluctuations on the surface of liquid. Said fluctuations lead to splashes and spills during the liquid flow.

Disabling the connection of the liquid that is found inside of the aseptic package (10) with the external environment is important in terms of hygienic considerations. For this process, aseptic-structured packages are utilized. The process of opening of said aseptic-structured packages can be hard for users due to the foil they contain.

The cover embodiment (20) which is shown in FIG. 2 offers a great advantage since it can be opened and closed for more than once. Duct cover (40), which has been developed for elimination of liquid splashing problem, is a channel that lies along the cover embodiment (20), being positioned immediately under the cover (30) (FIG. 1, FIG. 2).

The cover embodiment (20) comprises two elementary parts: namely the cover (30) and the cover housing (31). Cover embodiment (20) becomes open by means of one-way opening of the cover (30) by the help of a simple moving connection that maintains the cover embodiment (20). When the cover embodiment (20) is in open position, compression tip (41) of duct cover (40) has been near the cover (30) part. The duct cover (40) extends in form of a strip inside of the cover housing (31). Immediately under the compression tip (41), foil shearing teeth (50) are found. To the other side of the duct cover (40), rotation tip (42) has been positioned. That tip (42) helps to rotate the duct cover (40) while opening the aseptic package (10). In the middle part of the duct cover (40), a hinge (43) has been positioned. In a close position to rotation tip, lock pins (44) are found, while in a close position to compression tip (41) on the other hand lock housings (45) are found.

When the cover (30), which is the part fully covering the cover housing (31) from the top, is opened, we come across with an air duct (401) which is in shape of long strip and extends along the cover housing (31). When a minor pressure is exerted to the compression tip (41) which is positioned on the duct cover (40), rotation tip (42) becomes apparent (FIG. 2, FIG. 7 b). By means of using the rotation tip (42), duct cover (40) is turned 180 degrees around the hinge (43) (FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG. 6, FIG. 7 a, FIG. 7 b, FIG. 7 c, FIG. 7 d). With said rotation movement, the air duct (401) becomes functional (FIG. 1). Subsequent to the rotation movement, lock pins (44) which are positioned on the duct cover (40) are seated into the lock housings (45) that are positioned on said cover housing (31). Pressure forming on the foil shearing teeth (50) as a result of the rotation movement provides opening of the aseptic package (10) easily.

The protection area of this application has been specified under claims and cannot be limited to the descriptions only given as sampling above. It is obvious that a person skilled in the related art can also introduce the novelty disclosed by the invention by means of changing the parts by form and using similar structures can also apply similar embodiments into similar purposed other areas that are used in the related art. Therefore, it is also clear that such embodiments lack of innovation criteria and especially the criteria of exceeding the known status of the art. 

I claim:
 1. A cover embodiment through which liquid of any type such as fruit juice, milk, water, vegetable oil, mineral oil, detergent that is positioned in aseptic packages flows out; the cover embodiment comprising: a cover; a cover housing onto which said cover is positioned; a duct cover; foil shearing teeth positioned on said duct cover; a compression tip positioned on said duct cover; a rotation tip positioned on said duct cover; characterized in that that: said duct cover is capable of rotating 180° around a hinge by means of using said rotation tip so as to form an air duct that facilitates air inlet into aseptic package during the evacuation of the liquid which is positioned in said aseptic package, and that ensures regularity of the flow.
 2. The cover embodiment according to claim 1, further comprising: lock housings that are positioned on said cover housings; and lock pins that are positioned on the duct cover are seated into the lock housings subsequent to the rotation movement. 